Robert Frost Byway Council to host public input session

CHESTER - The Robert Frost/Old Stage Coach Scenic Byway Council is holding a public input session at Chester Town Hall on Saturday, April 6, from 9 to 11 a.m.

The byway council includes residents from Atkinson, Hampstead, Chester, Auburn and Derry, with additional participation from the Southern New Hampshire Planning Commission and the Rockingham Planning Commission.

The byway council's purpose is to protect the historic and cultural features along the byway, encourage the public to investigate the historic resources along the byway, encourage and promote recreational opportunities and to promote economic development, said Derry planning assistant Elizabeth Robidoux.

"The purpose of the session is to obtain input from residents and business owners located along the byway," said Robidoux.

She said the input session will also help raise awareness of the byway initiative, identify concerns in the corridor's communities, and help begin the process of developing goals and objectives for the corridor management plan.

"Public participation and input is a vital component and will be a guiding factor as the council begins to develop the corridor management plan," said Robidoux.

In 2011, Atkinson successfully obtained a designation of its Main Street as a New Hampshire Scenic and Cultural Byway, recognizing many historic properties as well as the importance of the corridor as the primary stage coach route between Boston and Manchester during the state's Colonial era.

The Robert Frost/Old Stage Coach Scenic Byway Advisory Council will explore the potential for expanding that local byway into a regional one that also celebrates the life and history of Robert Frost.